Charles M. Schulz, the most widely syndicated and beloved cartoonist of all time, is also one of the least understood figures in American culture. Now acclaimed biographer David Michaelis gives us an in-depth biography of the brilliant, unseen man behind Peanuts.

It is the most American of stories: How a barber's son grew up from modest beginnings to realize his dream of creating a newspaper comic strip. How he daringly chose themes never before attempted in mainstream cartoons—loneliness, isolation, melancholy, the unending search for love—always lightening the darker side with laughter and mingling the old-fashioned sweetness of childhood with a very adult and modern awareness of the bitterness of life. And how, using a lighthearted, loving touch, and a cast of memorable characters, he portrayed the struggles that come with being awkward, imperfect, human.

Based on years of research, Schulz and Peanuts is the definitive epic biography of an American icon and the unforgettable characters he created.

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Quotes & Awards

“Michaelis takes us on a wondrous journey through the worlds of Charlie Brown and Charles Schulz.”

Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“An insightful rendering of the life of this American treasure.”

Walter Cronkite

“An extraordinary achievement…that shrinks Schulz down to human size and enlarges our love of his work.”

Time

“This fall’s breakout biography.”

GQ

“After you read this book you will know the genius that went into every single line that Charles Schulz drew.”

Chris Ware, comic book artist and cartoonist

“There’s no book this year that made people’s eyes light up when I told them about it more than Schulz and Peanuts…[A] sharp, engaging, and level-headed biography.

Amazon.com, editorial review

“A fascinating account of an artist who devoted his life to his work.”

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“[An] exhaustively researched biography…Peanuts remains as popular as ever; its many fans will be enthralled by the unexpected insight Michaelis provides into Schulz’s singular accomplishment.”

Booklist

“David Michaelis’ book, the first full-scale biography of Charles Schulz, is almost as universally adored as his subject’s comic strips.”

Bookmarks magazine

“Michaelis offers…all that’s needed about a prodigy of American cultural history.”

Kirkus Reviews

A New York Times Bestseller

AnAudie Award Finalist

A USA Today Bestseller

One of the 2007 New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books for Nonfiction

Audio Publisher’s Association “Audie” Award

Listener Reviews

About the Author

David Michaelis is the author of two bestselling biographies, including N. C. Wyeth (available from Harper Perennial), which won the Ambassador Book Award for Biography and Autobiography, given by the English-Speaking Union of the United States. He lives in New York City.

About the Narrator

Holter Graham, winner of three of AudioFile magazine’s Best Voice of the Year awards, is a stage, television, and screen actor. He has recorded numerous audiobooks and earned multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards. As an actor, his film credits include Fly Away Home, Maximum Overdrive, Hairspray, and The Diversion, a short film which he acted in and produced. On television, he has appeared in Army Wives, Damages, As the World Turns, Rescue Me, Law & Order, and New York Undercover. He received a BA degree from Skidmore College and an MFA from Vermont College.

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